Wyvern's Regret
by narrizan
Summary: Hakkai catches something falling out of the sky


Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki.

Wyvern's Regret

He just is. A being older than the gods. Their race is known for wisdom, in all rulings and judgement. They do not know regret. They do not have friends.

Regret- was it that, which seemed to make his breath catch. He was not sure. Goujun, Great Dragon King of the Western Ocean, was pondering the question. Looking back with clarity on memories of events, five hundred and odd years as if they were yesterday. He was not privy to the complete_whys_ of the events, although he did wish more than anything to have that knowledge. To have reason and thus justification. There was that thing again. Regret. He smiled wryly, someone once told him that wishes were for fishes.

He once had Heaven's most dangerous man under his wing and watch. A brilliant strategist, a remarkable mind, and sharp, who had the misfortune to have been in possession of a heart. In addition; this manhad an indescribable need to feel and to live. The more fool he. Alone this man was safe, with his idyllic thoughts, and ideas gleaned from an extensive library amassed by many trips to down below.

Things had changed. Events that were beyond the control of the Great Dragon King. The silk was spinning in a way different from the pattern and form, Heaven was so fond of. The cogs of fate were turning. The arrival into the care of one of Heaven's most disdainful a being said to be so powerful that all of Heaven would quake one day.The arrival of an errant army generalunder Goujun's command. Two seemingly unconnected events were not as they seemed.

Goujun grimaced at the memory. The general was a man who had no regard for rules or authority. However a very good soldier in the field, and very much alive. When Kenren Taisho met with Tenpou Gensui, a new weave was spun into the pattern. Goujun even remembered his words of warning to the taisho that he had better not do anything to stain the record of his outstanding superior officer.

Order was a bout to be pitched headlong into chaos. His nose fairly twitched at the memory. The stink of the blood of courtiers. Never had blood been spilled in Heaven before. It seemed to be raining it that day. The starkest memory of all. The man, his man. He even dared to call him friend - in his heart of hearts. He sighed. Did he? Have a heart he wondered.

That memory alone, made his breathing ragged and his instincts rage. For Tenpou Gensui, had held a sword to his throat. Took him hostage. Oh he was ever so polite about it, and physically did him no harm. Between the two men alone Goujun, knew that he had let him. He knew that there was no other recourse, even if it was suicidal. There at the last he had acknowledged that they did, by dragons' standard the just and noble thing. Goujun had also known that should he have bested Tenpou Gensui that day, he would have sent into damnation, the very souls he sought to save, and he probably wouldn't be where he was standing now.

That memory alone, made his breathing ragged and his instincts rage. For Tenpou Gensui, had held a sword to his throat. Took him hostage. Oh he was ever so polite about it, and physically did him no harm. Between the two men alone Goujun, knew that he had let him. He knew that there was no other recourse, even if it was suicidal. There at the last he had acknowledged that they did, by dragons' standard the just and noble thing. Goujun had also known that should he have bested Tenpou Gensui that day, he would have sent into damnation, the very souls he sought to save, and he probably wouldn't be where he was standing now. Wistfully there was again that echo of regret.

Everything is a learning curve. All experiences. He does not live so long just to accept things as they were. It was not in the nature of his forebears and it is not in his nature now. Regret does not become a dragon.

So here he was. He had put his affairs straight, saying to his temporary replacement, that he was going on a sabbatical. Anything from a year to a thousand he reckoned. There had been a pull. Some kind of force. Maybe it was those cogs of fate again. The pull to visit down below was stronger. Some kind of calling. Inexorably. It was time he claimed his marshall and his erstwhile general. For to all intents and purposes, they were still his men.

As he stepped away from Heaven's gate and through the portal. He once more held his lithesome snakelike neck membranous wings, white fur and silver scales. His eyes, stark against the white. Aaahh! Flying , gliding...yes Heaven could be so stifling sometimes. He circled the skies, and let dragon sense take guide him.

He could see trees and some sort of civilisation. A humble lodging came into view. On a path, two people were walking towards the house. Laughing and easy with each other. The scents, although different, were familiar. This was down below after all. He made a decision. He folded his wings and let gravity take him.

The setting sun, set the sky afire, burnished oranges, red and pinks. It brought out the fire in his companion's hair. Hakkai laughed along with him. At his joke about a certain monk and his pet. No doubt Sanzo's ears were burning right about now. It was happenstance that he looked up into the sky, squinting at something moving through space and time. Without a thought, he pushed Gojyo away from him, and stretched his arms out in front of him.

"What the-" Gojyo mumbled as he picked himself up off the ground. He saw that his friend now held something in his arms. White, furry and scaly. What? Furry and scaly? Yes with wings too. He shook his head.

"Here there be dragons" murmured Hakkai softly and reverently. He had looked him over and saw that the creature was not hurt in anyway. He cupped a fragile dragon face in his hand and looked into deep scarlet eyes. He laughed gently and pointed out to his friend that they had similar eyes.

"Kyuuu!" came an indignant snort. Said dragon, wished that at the very least, he could have knocked the former taisho out with his fall. Damn! But wishes were for fishes

"Kyuu" a gentler sound, he had found them. Both.

The cogwheels of fate were turning again.

Owari


End file.
